Been watching reruns of the old TV Western, “the Loner,” starring Lloyd Bridges. It was created and produced by Rod Serling, and he often directed and wrote scripts for episodes. Story wise, it’s fairly standard TV Western fare, but it does have that well-produced, written, and directed tone that is the mark of anything produced by Serling. The acting and writing is always above par, it has good cinematography, and it has kind of a quirky theme song. It’s a very good Western, with a Rod Serling touch.
"The Westerner," a 1960 TV series created by Sam Peckinpah, starring Brian Keith as Dave Blassingame, a laconic cowboy drifter wandering the Wild West with his dog, Brown. The show, which aired on NBC from September to December 1960, ran for 13 episodes and was notable for its gritty, morally complex take on the Western genre, setting it apart from more polished contemporary shows like Bonanza. Keith’s portrayal of Blassingame is understated and authentic, embodying a flawed, relatable hero who’s skilled with a gun but often caught in morally ambiguous situations. John Dehner co-stars as Burgundy Smith, a rakish conman appearing in three episodes. The series, produced by Four Star Television, is considered a cult classic and an early showcase of Peckinpah’s revisionist Western style.I REALLY enjoyed it. It ranged from silly slapstick with Burgundy Smith to violent reality.
Amazon recommended another show I'd never heard of which resonates with me having been a Californian in the mid 1950s and then from 1973 onward. The music is awful, but the show is good.
The Californians was a half-hour American Western television series set during the California Gold Rush of the 1850s. It aired on NBC from September 24, 1957, to August 27, 1959, for two seasons, with a total of 69 episodes. The show was set in San Francisco, a bustling and chaotic city during the Gold Rush, and focused on efforts to maintain law and order amidst criminals, con men, and corruption.The universal and modern themes in 1950s and 1960s were amazing and resonate today.The series initially centered on Dion Patrick (played by Adam Kennedy), an Irish newspaperman who worked for a newspaper owned by Sam Brennan and fought crime as part of a vigilante group led by storekeeper Jack McGivern (Sean McClory). The vigilantes were a response to the city’s rampant lawlessness, as San Francisco’s population exploded due to the Gold Rush. However, sponsors were uneasy about glorifying vigilantes (I'm still in the Season 1 vigilante shows), so the show was restructured mid-first season. In March 1958 (episode 23, “Gentleman from Philadelphia”), Matthew Wayne (Richard Coogan) was introduced as a gambling man who arrived in San Francisco seeking revenge for his partner’s murder. Wayne bought a saloon, was elected sheriff, and later became marshal, organizing a 50-man police force. By the second season, Wayne became the main character, and the vigilante angle was phased out, with Dion Patrick and Jack McGivern fading from prominence. The show explored themes of justice, corruption, and the challenges of a rapidly growing city, with plots involving murders, blackmail, shanghaiing, and conflicts with outlaws or dishonest officials.
Never heard of The Loner. I’ll check it out. I’m going through The Rifelman right now.
I never heard of that series, ‘The Loner’ . I just finished watching the first episode. I could tell right away it was Sterling’s work. Nearly as good as the Twilight Zone and that remains my favorite TV show.